1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a support stand, a scanner device, and an image recording apparatus, and in particular to a support stand that can prevent a scanner from being deformed in a scanning direction by thermal expansion, a scanner device, and an image recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
Digital image recording apparatus such as digital copiers and digital facsimile machines are disposed with a scanner that reads a document image and converts the document image into image signals, an electrophotographic printer that forms an image on a recording medium such as recording paper on the basis of the image signals from the scanner, and a rack to which the scanner and the printer are attached.
In such digital image recording apparatus, the rack is disposed with a scanner mounting stand to which the scanner is attached and a printer mounting stand to which the printer is attached. Ordinarily, the scanner mounting stand is positioned above the printer mounting stand such that the scanner is attached above the printer. In consideration of the ease of operation by an operator, a paper discharge tray, into which the recording paper on which an image has been recorded by the printer is discharged, is disposed in the portion between the scanner and the printer—that is, on the upper surface of the printer.
In recent years, it has become common to integrally mold the casing and the frame of the scanner with resin for the purpose of reducing weight.
However, because the scanner emits heat when it is used for a long period of time, the casing and the frame thermally expand. Consequently, when the scanner is simply fixed to the rack, there is the problem that the frame of the scanner becomes deformed by thermal expansion and the scanner becomes unable to properly scan images.